Automatic railway-switch.



No. 677,007. J' wus Patented June 25, 100|.

v AUTOMATIC: RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application med Nov. 2a, 1900.) '(No Model.) 2 Sheds-Sheet l.

No. 677.007. Patented lum/al 25, l90l.

I J. N. WILSON.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Jamplimnm med Nov. 2s, 1900.) (No Mcdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

JAMES NEWTON VILSON, OF BASIN SPRINGS, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECEFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,007, dated J' une25, 1901.

Application filed November 28, 1900. Serial No. 88,032. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, t 712m/ cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, JAMES NEWTON WIL- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Basin Springs, in the county of Grayson and State ofTexas, have invented a new and useful Automatic Railway-Switch, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-switches, and has for its objects toprovide for automatically throwing the switch by a passing train and tocombine the present improved trip mechanism with an ordinaryswitch-stand, so that the latter may be operated by hand independentlyof the train-operated mechanism.

Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanyin g drawings,and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of arailway-track having the present switch operating device appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view illustrati-ng the manner ofactuating the present trip mechanism from the locomotive of a train.Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear-end car ofa train,showing the manner of actuating the trip mechanism to return the switchto its original position, 'the casing of the trip being in section. v

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

a vertical shaft lO, mounted within t-he stand and provided at its lowerend with a lateral arm 11. The free end portions of the movablerail-sections are connected by means of a switch-bar 12, which projectsat the side of the track toward the switch-stand and is operativelyconnected to the arm of the shaft by means of a link or rod 13, so thatby throwing the lever in either direction the movable rail-sections willbe operated to open and close the switch. As is common, the shaft 10 isextended above the switch-stand and provided with a suitable signal 14to indicate when the switch is open and when it is closed.

In carrying out the present design to automaticall y operate the switchby a passing train there is provided opposite trip mechanisms, which areduplicates in construction and are housed within the respective boxes orcasings A and B, which are located at opposite sides of theswitch-stand, so that one of the devices throws the switch-rails in onedirection and the other throws them in the opposite direction, in orderthat the train may automatically return the switch to its originalposition after passing over the same. Each box or casing issubstantially rectangular in shape and is provided with an intermediaterock-shaft 15, that is disposed transversely with respect to the trackand has its opposite ends journaled in the adjacent sides of the box.Adjacent to that end of the shaft which is opposite the track there isprovided a substantially U -shaped or double crank 16, which carries alink 17, having its free end connected to the free end of a coiledspring 18, that encircles a transverse rod 19, mounted adjacent to thebottom of t-he box. The opposite end 2O of the spring is secured to theadjacent end of the box. Fixed to the opposite end of the rock-shaft andadjacent to the inner face of the box there is provided a trip-head 2l,which projects in opposite directions above and below the shaft. Theupper portion of the head is bifurcated, so as to j form a two-tinedfork 22, the inner edges of which are rounded or beveled inwardly, so asto readily receive and guide thetrip-actuating device into thebifurcated portion of the trip-head. This head is preferably in the formof a metal plate, and the lower portion thereof forms an arm 23 forengagement with IOC the adjacent end of a connecting-rod 24, wherebyconnection is had between the trip device and the slidable switch-barfor operating the movable switch-rails. A suitable Y opening 25 isprovided in the inner end of the box for the reception of theconnecting-rod.

The intermediate ,connection between the outer end of the connecting-rodand the movable switch-bar is formed by means of anintermediately-fulcru med rock-lever 26, which is conveniently mountedupon an extension of one of the road-bed ties and has its opposite freeends pivotally connected to the respective connecting-rods 24, asindicated at 27. This rock -lever is normally disposed substantiallytransversely with respect to the track and is arranged adjacent to oneside of the outer end ot' the movable switch bar which projects beyondthe track. An arm 28 projects laterally from the fulcrumed portion ofthe rock-lever and has its outer end connected to the adjacent end oftheswitchbar by a pivotal connection 29, so that by operating theconnecting-rods 24 simultaneously in opposite directions the lever 26will be rocked, thereby moving the switch-bar endwise and throwing theswitch-rails in one direction or the other.

In order that the switch-rails may be moved without also actuating thetrip mechanism, the switch-bar has been formed in two seetions 12 and30, as best indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The outer end portion30 is comparatively small and has its inner end provided with ahorizontal bifurcation 3l for the slidable reception of thevertically-slotted and intermediate tongue 32 of the other section, astop-piu 33 passing through the bifurcated portion of the outer sectionand also through the slot of the tongue, so as to prevent endwiseseparation of the'bar-sections. These sections are normally rigidlyconnected by means of a look-bar 34, which has its outer end hinged tothe upper side of the section 30, as indicated at 35, and overlaps theadd jacent end of the other section, which carries a staple 36, thatprojects upwardly through a suitable slot or perforation in the free endof the lock-bar for the reception of a suitable lock 37 to preventaccidental release of the lock-bar. Wvhen the switch is to be operatedby the train-operated trip mechanism, the bar-sections are rigidlyconnected, as will be understood; but when it is desired to operate theswitch by h-and and independently of the trip mechanism the lock 37 isremoved and the lock-bar swung upwardly, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 3, so that the bar-section l2 may freely slide upon the bar-section30, and thereby free to be operated from the switch-stand without alsooperating the trip mechanism. This is an important feature, as thesprings of the trip mechanism are powerful, so as to guard againstaccidental operation of the device, and therefore difficult to bemanually overcome by manipulation of the switch-stand.

The manner of actuating the trip mechanism is shown in Fig. 2, whereinhas been shown a locomotive 3S approaching the first trip device andprovided with a lateral triparm 39, which is carried by a rock-shaft 40,mounted longitudinally upon the outside of the cab of the locomotive andhaving a rear terminal-operating crank-handle 4l for convenientmanipulation to throw the trip-arm outwardly into a substantiallyhorizontal position for engagement with the upper bifurcated end of thetrip-head 2l within the first trip mechanism. Normally the trip armhangs downwardly by reason of its weight and is thrown upwardly bymanipulation of the crank-handle, the shaft being provided with alateral stop projection 42 to strike against the side of the cab, andthereby limit the upward throw of the arm to insure the proper positionthereof to engage the triphead. The adjacent side of the box or casingof the trip mechanism is provided with a slot 43, as best shown in Fig.5 of the drawings, for the reception of the outer end of the triparm 39,and the trip-head is normally inclined outwardly or toward anapproaching train, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the outer tine of thefork is immediately below the entrance of the slot in order that thetrip-arm may pass over the said tine and strike the inner edge of theopposite tine, thereby throwing the trip-head and the rock-shaft overinto their opposite positions,`drawin'g the connecting-rod 24 inwardlyand through the rock-lever 26, and operating the switch-rails to open orclose the switch, according to the arrangement thereof. Ordinarily thedevice is arranged so that the first trip mechanism will open the switchin order that the train may pass onto the siding.

It will be understood that the trip-heads withinthe respective boxes arenormally inclined outwardly in opposite directions, so as to be trippedbya train approaching in either direction, and therefore when the iirst'trip B is thrown inwardly the opposite trip will also be thrown inwardlythrough its connections with the rock-lever 26, and thus it is essentialthat the trip-arm on the locomotive be returned toits inoperativeposition before it reaches the other trip A, as otherwise the switchwould be closed before the last car had passed therethrough. However,the triparm vis automatically returned to its normally-inoperativeposition just as it -leaves the first trip mechanism, as the weight ofthe IOO IIO

arm is sufficient to throw it downwardly.

able operating-lever 46 is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon someconvenient portion of the car and has its lower end pivotally connectedto an intermediate portion of the trip-rod by means of a swinging link47, whereby the rod may be slid in opposite directions to project eitherend at the adjacent side of the car. Thus by throwing the trip-rodoutwardly it -will engage the trip mechanism A, and thereby close theswitch.

It will of course be understood that the opposite end of the siding isalso provided with a similar trip device for automatically operating theswitch at said opposite end of the siding, whereby trains may beconveniently switched without requiring the manual operation ef theswitches.

It is preferable to house the trip mechanism within a box or casing inorder that it may be protected from the weather, and the purpose of thesiot 43 is to give access to said mechanism and also to form a guide forthe trip-actuating device carried by the train, whereby said device isconveniently and effectively guided to the trip-head, and thus insuresthe proper engagement of the tripactuating device with the rocking head.

As best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that thesignal 14 is always in operative relation to the inner part of theswitch-bar, which is directly connected to the movable switch-rails,whereby said signal is actuated whether the switch be operated from theswitch-stand or by the trainoperated switch mechanism, or, in otherwords, the signal is actuated by the movable switch-rails, no matter howthe latter are thrown.

The locomotive and cars of a train have a lateral rocking motion, and tocompensate for the consequent elevation and depression of thetrip-operating device carried by the train, so as to insure a properentrance thereof into the guide-slot in the boXing or casing, the latteris provided at each end of the guideslot with the oppositelongitudinally-disposed guide project-ions 48 and 49, the inner edges ofwhich merge into the corresponding top and bottom edges of the slot anddiverge outwardly therefrom, so as to form a wide entrance into the slotfor the reception of the trip-operating device at either its upper orlower limit. These guides are preferably formed by extending the frontof each casing in opposite directions and increasing the width cf eachend of the guide-slot 43, formed therein.

Itis desirable to lock the trip-operating rod 44 against accidentallongitudinal motion, and to carry into effect this object there isprovided a segmental rack 50, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, whichis arranged concentrically with respect to the fulcrum of the lever 4b',the latter being provided with a suitable ratchet device 5l to take intothe respective notches or teeth of the rack, and

thereby lock the rod 44 at its opposite limits and at its intermediateposition.

Although I have shown the rock-lever 26 entirely exposed,it is designedto have the same housed withina suitable casing, with openings for thepassage of the respective conneetingrods. Also the rod IO of theswitch-stand is designed to extend above the signal 14, as indicated inFig. 1, so as to support and display an illuminated signal for use atnight. liIoreover, instead of mounting the trip-operating device uponthe cab of the locomotive it may be mounted upon the forward portion ofthe boiler thereof, with the operating-handle located within convenientreach from the cab.

7What is claimed isl. The combination with the movable rail- Sections ofa railway-switch, and the switchbar thereof, of a train-operated switchmechanism therefor, comprising a box having a horizontal slot openingthrough opposite ends thereof, a spring-actuated rock-shaft mountedwithin the box and transversely of the slot, a tri p-head iixedlyconnected to the rockshaft and projecting at opposite sides thereof, oneend of the trip-head being arranged transversely across the slot, andits opposite end having an operative connection with the switch-bar.

2. In a railwayswitch, the combination with a switch-bar, of atrain-operated trip mechanism, and a manually-operated switchstand, bothof which members are operatively connected to the switch-bar, and meansfor rendering inoperative the trip mechanism to permit of an operationof the switch-bar by the switch-stand without actuating the tripmechanism, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-bar, of amanually-operated switch-stand therefor, a tensioned train-operated tripmechanism also connected to the switch-bar, the tension upon said tripmechanism being substantially too great to be overcome by manualmanipulation of the switchstand, and means for disconnecting the tripmechanism from the switch-bar to permit of an operation of the latter byactuation of the switch-stand.

4. In a railway-switch, the combination of a switch-bar, amanually-operated switchstand therefor, and a train-operated tripmechanism having an operative connection with the switch-bar, saidconnection being constructed to be rendered inoperative to permit of anoperation of the switch-bar by the switchstand without actuating thetrip mechanism, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railway-switch, the combination with the movable rail-sectionsthereof, of a two-part switch-bar, a slidable connection between theparts thereof, removable means for iixedly connecting said sectionsorparts, a manually-operated switch-stand operatively connected to thatpart of the switch-bar which IOO IZO

is directly connected to the movable rail-seetions, and a train-operatedtrip device operatively connected to the other part of the switch-bar.

6. In a railway-switch, the combination with the movable rail-sectionsthereof, of a two-part switch-bar having its inner part connected to themovable rail-sections, and provided at its outer end with a slottedtongue, the outer part having a longitudinal bifurcation slidablyreceiving the tongue, a. stop-pin extending transversely of thebifurcation and also through the slot of the tongue, a lock-bar hingedto the outer part of the switch-bar and overlapping the inner partthereof, detachable means for locking-the lock-bar to the inner part ofthe switch-bar, and a train-operated trip device operatively connectedto the outer part of the switch-bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

- JAMES NEVTON VILSON. lVitnesses:

W'. S. CRAvEN,

W. H. OMOHUNDRO.

